Keep Flying initiates a ‘Revival’ with long-awaited return to Upton VFW
The last time Keep Flying landed in Upton to rip a gig, things didn't exactly go as planned. But without any hurricanes in the forecast this time around, the band is eyeing the sacred ground of the local VFW spot as not only a return to take care of some unfinished business, but to celebrate a revival of epic proportions in the process.
Cruising into town at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 to kick off a tour on the doorstep of their latest studio effort “Revival,” which is slated for an August 12 release, the party-loving pop punk conglomerate is more than ready to mix it up with their fans. And while he’s certainly chomping at the bit himself, saxophonist and seemingly never-ending source of positive energy John Ryan knows that, even as a DIY band that has curated a sizable following in New England over the years as a result of their high-energy supporting sets of local scene heroes like Four Year Strong and A Loss For Words, things are really just getting started.
“We’ve put the work in around Massachusetts over the years, and it’s nice to think about the last time we played in Upton, where it was a matinee show during a hurricane, so the show was very bad. But we made the best of it, on top of the power going out for quite a long time,” says Ryan. “It’s just nice to feel like all the bigger support shows that we’ve done in the state are starting to pay off.”
For Ryan, headlining sets are always a blast, as he and the rest of the group get to play alongside other bands from the area that they respect and consider friends. But he’s quick to admit that, even with the impressive turnouts at shows around the Commonwealth – most recently at The Middle East in Cambridge and West Springfield’s Two Weeks Notice Brewing Company – the excitement of celebrating a new record on the horizon has him re-energized and rejuvenated to take the stage with the mission of unleashing some fresh-baked tunes. That is, even if the new record isn’t technically full of new songs.
In the case of “Revival,” the band’s upcoming record and their latest following the release of their 2020 EP “Survival,” frontman Henry Menzel and co. have followed in the footsteps of some of their favorite artists by taking stock of some of the band’s favorite songs from their ever-growing catalog, and reimagined them in unique ways that may not offer new lyrics (with the exception of one brand new track), but the genres into which they have transported these tracks breathe new life into each song.
“The original idea wasn’t even about doing these songs in different genres. That sort of came to fruition as we started talking it out more, and seeing as we’ve all moved to different states now, it’s hard for us to write, and I think this was a good idea for us to keep focus on a record, specifically on naming the album,” says Ryan. “Half of the songs are from ‘Survival,’ and that was because we put that record out during COVID, and we don’t feel like we got as many eyes and ears as we would have liked on an album that we consider to be our best. So the idea of ‘Revival’ was an idea to keep focus on ‘Survival’ by covering those songs. The initial spark was that each of us also listens to all kinds of different music, and we’ve joked about what it would sound like to do a song in this style or that style, and that’s what this record ended up becoming.”
For the most part, the band knew how they wanted each song to sound with its new form before they even went in to record it, but as with every project, there were little twists and turns at every corner, and a few curveballs, rewrites and tweaks set some of the tracks into different dimensions than originally intended. From the Mumford & Sons-esque “Candy Cane Forest 2” stemming from the fan favorite prequel on their first EP “Follow Your Nightmares,” to the moody acoustic recreation of one of their newest tracks “Firesale,” the band gleefully explored options inspired by some of their favorite artists and came away with something that Ryan is cautiously optimistic will attract listeners to absorb different musical flavors.
“I think everyone who enjoys the band will like at least one song [on the record],” says Ryan. “Because we did different genres, I feel like some people might consider a certain song an immediate skip for them, while others might like the whole thing. But I also think there will be at least one song that everyone will really like because it was a certain style. Who knows? Some people might love it, and some people might think it stinks, but I guess we’ll find out. It’s also been done for so long, that I’m just fired up to get this thing out there.”
There’s certainly a lot at play for the band that is already helping to make this trek to Massachusetts and beyond a memorable voyage. Aside from a Stranger Things-themed release show in Brattleboro, Vermont the following night to officially commemorate the album’s arrival, the Upton show represents the first of many celebrations, or “parties” as Ryan considers them to be, in honor of the new record. Additionally, the idea that they will all be together in their van, making their way to the next gig when the new album drops at midnight only adds another layer of special meaning to this project.
Not to mention, the fact that the first show is the site of, as previously mentioned, some “unfinished business” in the band’s history, Ryan is forecasting a joyfully welcomed exhaustion from putting the pedal to the metal onstage from the jump to usher in the next album cycle, surrounded by the loyal fanbase he’s so excited to scream these songs with again.
“This is the first thing this year that I’ve been counting down. I absolutely can’t wait to get there,” says Ryan. “Everything else we’ve done this year has been amazing, but I haven’t been as excited about anything as I am right now. I think it’s because of the record coming out, and I get to be proud of myself and my bandmates, and all of the people who have supported us for a really long time. I get to be proud of the fact that maybe we aren’t a big band, but we have a big, strong, safe and protective circle of people that I know we can rely on, and to me, that’s worth way more than being just a bigger band.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Keep Flying initiates a ‘Revival’ with long-awaited return to Upton VFW
